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Sunday, December 12, 2010

No. 19 Augustana outlasts Northern State

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - No. 19 Augustana finished the game on a 14-4 run and erased a one-point deficit in the game's final four minutes to pick up a 71-62 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference victory over Northern State Sunday afternoon in Sioux Falls, S.D.

Tessa Wilka had all of her six of her nine points in the Vikings' decisive run of the game. She added seven rebounds.

The final Augustana spurt was aided by 3-pointers from Feeney and Wilka. The Vikings also drained six free throws in the game's final four minutes.

Jodi Reinschmidt's game-high 19 points led the Wolves.

The Vikings opened the game on a 13-0 behind five points from Board and additional 3-pointers from Doyle and Feeney.

It took the Wolves four minutes to connect on their first field goal of the game; Jenna Higgens eventually broke the drought with an easy layup from the left side.

Augustana's double-digit lead hung around until the midway point of the half when an 8-2 surge from the Wolves made it a two-point game at 24-22 with eight minutes left before the break.

The Vikings bent but didn't break, extending their lead back to six points after back-to-back 3-pointers from Doyle and Nelson. Another deep ball from Feeney just before the half gave her team a 37-32 advantage at intermission.

Doyle led the Vikings with 10 first-half points on 4 of 6 shooting from the field. Augustana connected on six 3-pointers in the first half, neutralizing a 50 percent shooting performance from the Wolves.

NSU quickly put itself back in the game in the second half, tying the game at 37-37 four minutes in after Krista Rabenberg scored five unanswered points and Reinschmidt drained a free throw.

The Wolves took their first lead of the game with 3:56 left when Mikayla Barondeau sank a pair of free throws.

From there, though, the Vikings mounted their game-winning run.

Augustana capitalized on NSU mistakes in the contest, turning the Wolves' 17 turnovers into 14 points. The Vikings turned the ball over just six times in the win.

The Sunday matinee was the results of blizzard conditions in Sioux Falls area as the game was originally on the schedule for Saturday.

Augustana will travel to Minnesota, Crookston and Minnesota State Moorhead next weekend for a pair of NSIC tilts.